Saturday night.

Well here I am, I've been at my computer desk for the past couple of hours, apart from a break for our evening meal, Elizabeth made us a traditional Irish fry-up, consisting of chips, egg, bacon, beans, and potatoe bread, all I can say is yummie, it was very tasty. Tierloch was here, and little Jack and by the clean plates, they also heartily enjoyed.

But I digress, I've been tootling around on the old PC here, reading various bicycle websites, saving some to my bookmarks, for future reference, realising that there are so many, that in truth, I'll never be able to keep up date, with the vast majority of them. It's mind boggling just how much information is out there, at one's fingertips, in cyberspace, and the potential we all have, of reaching, and actually communicating with so many human beings all around this planet of ours.

My intention was, at first to cheat i.e., by using this blog, as a way of writing a letter, long overdue, that I owe my cousin Maureen, and her husband Ray. My shambolic attempt necessitated printing off my latest post, writing a brief note, to explain, and job done. This clever ruse, of course, backfired, and the printer produced, not one but all my posts, fortunately only 9 pages, because I've only been typing my attempts at blogging for a short while, as yet, and only intermittantly. I hope Maureen, you and Ray, will have the patience to read it all, at least it could prove useful as an aid to bring about slumber, on those nights, when it's hard to drop off.

So I've confessed, and I'm sorry, but now you're going to have to read it all, though it might take some time, between waking and dropping off times. Not that I didn't want to write, it's just I've been feeling a bit lazy of late. Since Christmas, I've really been trying to stick at my part commute to and from work, as you'll it's quite time consuming, and makes it all a long day, I don't mind that in the least, but it puts time at a premium. Today I'm off work, I only seem to ride my bike, nowadays, on my commute to work. When Im home like this, I have so much else to do, and must do.

Elizabeth doesn't drive, so we have to do the shopping etc., though I do very little, in the way household chores,partly, I suppose, because Elizabeth has it all so well in hand, and I am somewhat lazy in that department. We've had a busy day today, sadly, it started just after 04.00 a.m., when we received a phonecall, from Jimmy Peoples, who lives just around the corner from us. His wife, Edwina had fallen out of bed, both of them are in their late 70's, and Jimmy couldn't lift her, so it was a cry for help, which we were more than happy to answer.

We got dressed, walked round the corner, probably 200 yards, at most, in the pouring rain, which doesn't seem to have stopped for several days now, and managed to get Edwina back into bed. Obviously, she was rather upset, but Elizabeth is very good in such situations, and was able to calm her down, while I hid at the top of the stairs. Then it was a quick walk home, just in time, for for the 05.00 a.m., alarm to go off, signifying, it was time for Tierloch to get up for work, once he'd gone, and to be fair, normally I wouldn't have heard him, I just couldn't get back to sleep, you must remember, at that stage, I hadn't printed off my,soon to be famous, insomnia remedy, "welshcyclist" blog.

Perhaps, at this stage,I need to explain what a blog is. Well I'm not an expert, by any means, but I believe, put simply, a blog is a diary or collection of thoughts, that one types on the computer, and publishes on the internet, for all and sundry, in every corner of the world to read, laugh at, deride, or even to fall asleep in mid sentence. Well I've been doing it for a few weeks now, and getting quite blase, about it. In other words, I don't care, how many people I send to sleep.

Getting back to our day, we both went back to sleep, eventually waking up at 10.00 a.m., it was tipping down with rain, still, and I thought to myself, I should have got up, and gone for a cycle ride, I love riding in the rain, another opportunity missed, ah well. But all was not lost, that little problem called rain, wasn't going to stop us, not on our day off. So we decided to go for a walk, down at Aberavon beach, along the promenade, which must be one and a half miles long.

When we got there, the wind was howling, the sea was boiling, and we walked, from one end to the other, nice and warm in our waxed jackets, quite the country set, don't you know. It was really terrific with the wind to our backs, but the return leg, into the breeze with it's chill factor, soon had our eyes and noses, watering. By this time, we were both starting to feel, pangs of hunger. With great fortitude, we eschewed the inviting aromas of Reno's cafe, on the seafront, to go shopping at Morrison's supermarket.

From the veritable solitude of the beach, where we, at most, saw 5-6 other people, Morrison's car park was bursting at the seams. We got the papers, and a few other things, and then had a cup of tea,along with a sandwich, a la Morrison's, then headed for Neath's Tescos, because Elizabeth couldn't get the, all important potatoe bread, the Irish delicacy, vital to a true Northern Ireland fry-up.

On a wet day, boy it was wet, it seems that most of the population, in these parts, head for the supermarkets, because Tescos car park was also full. Once more we braved the aisles, and succeeded, in our noble quest, for the potatoe bread. Feeling quite peoud at our success, we decided to reward ourselves, with an upmarket, cup of coffee, otherwise known as a cappocino ( is it double "c" ?), at our special place in Neath, A La Creme, which isn't at all French, but reknowned for it's cream cakes. We were very good, despite the tempting counter, settling for a cappoccino each, well I had a Cappoccino Royale, with hazelnut syrup topped with real cream, that's at least another 5 miles on the bike!

At this stage it was getting dark, so we decided to head for home. While Elizabeth got on with the fry-up, I gave Ann and Conor, a lift to Swansea for an evening out with friends, they should be back now, we're babtsitting Jack, at least Tierloch is, they're playing games on his Xbox, or whatever it's called these days.Which almost brings me up to date, well on the computer, I can say, up to the minute, 21.45 p.m., to be precise.

To come to a close, and by the way, you've alot more reading to do yet, because I will ask questions at a later date, I think you will have to develope, that little known skill, called, what is it now?, sleep walking, no that's not it, ah yes, sleep reading.Goodnight and God Bless, hope to talk to you both soon.

Lots of love,
from
Elizabeth & Keiron
xxx

P.S. I believe I told you in the past that I preferred to write long hand,when composing letters etc., since I've been doing the blog, I am getting better at the old typing skills, I mean this has only taken me a mere 2 hours, so far, though one finger on each hand, is quite sore, Keiron jnr has told me he will download a typing course for me.